All publications posted on this site are copyrighted and can only be used with the legal written consent of Richard Kagan. Questions can be directed to Richard Kagan

PACIFIC RIM: NOMENCLATURE:
DATE LECTURE GIVEN:
MAY 15, 1993 - MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ORIENT, FAR EAST, EAST ASIA, PACIFIC OCEAN, AMERICAN LAKE, PACIFIC RIM INCLUDES:

The world has seen a succession of "centres" which have formed the concept of our universe. These centers began with the Mediterranean world during the time known as our classical heritage. This world was slowly engulfed by the european -centered world and the beginning of western imperialism. We can date this for Asia with the voyages of Vasco De Gama in the 1500's. For a time there were different empires: Dutch, Portugese, Spanish, French, British, and the short-lived German and Italian empires in Africa. The so-called American century has lasted only about 50 years from 1943-1993. The emergence of the newly-industrializing countries in East and South-East Asia has created an economic base more powerful or at least equal to the combined european base, and the American base; indeed the area has even become a major competitor in technology, and invention. Finally, it has become a major cultural center--promoting new ideas of artiistic appreciation--or aesthetic awareness.

To bring this area more into political and economic focus and group strength, there is recent progress towards the formation of an entity under the name of Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC): this is the beginning of a regional community of countries to integrate trade, promote cultural relations.

Spurring this movement toward a greater community are the factors of: growing
communication links--especially airlines, new sea going vessels, and telecommunications. The problems of ecological loss has drawn the countries together esp. in the area of global environmental change such as rising sea levels, new energy sources, fishing industry problems such as drift-net fishing. To the anger of many of the Pacific rim countries, France continues to use the region for nuclear testing. Movements against the dumping of hazardous wastes in the Pacific or the transhipment of wastes or of plutonium. Malaysia and Indonesia have argued that if the environment is to be saved, such issues as trade, poverty and development had to be addressed and certain areas of free trade had to be curbed. The general conclusion about the future of a Pacific rim economic community being developed is that this process will depend on how economic development is related to social, political and environmental development.

The somber truth of the matter is that if we use world history as a guide: each center of civilization so to speak has been getting chronologically shorter and shorter. The problems of being on top have quickly eaten up the basis for the domination. The American century lasted for half of a century. Will the Pacific Rim last longer? And if not, will the world be in any shape to produce another center?

Population Numbers (in millions):

Birth control by itself is unlikely to achieve any solution to economic problems unless it is accompanied by other measures to stimulate the economy, including aid, land reform, social reform, women's education and emancipation, and in general the ironing out of the extremes of of gross inequalities.

General issues in the region:

Trade:
Changes in trading patterns between U.S. -Japan; and Japan-Pacific Rim. Japanese exports to America have declined. Yet our overall balance of trade in the Pacific Rim has worsened. Why? By restricting Japanese imports to America, and while threatening Japan with retaliation, Japan has sought to develop markets in Thailand, China, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. We are importing more goods from these countries (except Vietnam). Often these goods are produced through Japanese capital, or by Japanese manufacturing. In other words, our short sighted views of trade with Japan have limited us from seeing how Japan gains even more power in the Pacific Rim at our expense.

Awareness of the need of multilateralism:
Under the Clinton administration there has been a realization of the problem of America having no coherent Asian policy. That is, under the Bush administration, we acted in bilateral ways which often impacted other groups in negative ways or impacted us in negative ways.

The newly appointed and confirmed Asst. Sec. of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Winston Lord, laid out his policy changes to Congress during his confirmation hearings on March 31. "It is time", he announced, "to build with others a new Pacific community." The highest priority will be to develop a comprehensive durable partnership with Japan. "Japan," he stated, "will be asked to step forward in a spirit of enlightened self-interest and mutual benefit."

Lord broke new ground by endorsing a policy of consulting with Asia-Pacific regional forums for political and security issues. He even endorsed the fledgling Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (apec) forum. "Apec," he boasted and slightly exaggerated, "with its 15 nations produces almost half of the world's GNP." Actually it produces slightly over one-third of the world's GNP. The problem with this strategy is that it has no or little American institutional underpinnings. Our government does not have a single institution which handles both trade deficits and political-security problems. In fact, we have no single institution to handle our international trade policies--no international trade Czar who plans long term economic policies and goals.

Dealing with the existence of a Pacific Rim will not only take patience, but will require a major shift in America's sense of power and a change in its traditional personal diplomacy with a few chosen countries.

Issues in the Pacific Rim:

Environmental issues:

The creation of a human rights conference in Asia raises the issue of how strong the UN Declaration of Human Rights will be supported in the Pacific Rim. The Pacific countries are arguing that there should be adherence to non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and that cultural relativism should allow deviation from international norms.

Besides the singling out of Japan as being not in step with human rights discussions, the Conference refused to invite Australia and New Zealand because of pressure from Islamic countries.

The rise of fundamentalism:

• China: Mongols, Uighurs, Koreans
• Cambodia and Vietnam: support of Pol Pot by China
• Indonesia--Timor

Some of the great contributions:

• Aesthetics.
• Intellectual discoveries.
• Infusion of new culture into America.
• Human capital migration to America